Cadillac or competing brand model ? Why ? Discussion, What's wrong with Lincoln Mark VIIs and VIIIs? in Item Specific Cadillac Discussion; I just sold my 98 Mark 8 LSC in Dec. Had the new esv coming and I couldn't stand the ...

Re: What's wrong with Lincoln Mark VIIs and VIIIs?

I just sold my 98 Mark 8 LSC in Dec. Had the new esv coming and I couldn't stand the thought of leaving the LSC outside or driving it in the snow and salt. They pound the roads with salt here.

Back to the topic.

I owned 2 98 LSC's. The biggest flaw I found comes from vibrations at 80+ mph. If you look in the rear view mirror it's blurry to a certain extent. The cause is Fords decision to use a 2 piece driveshaft. A lot of owners that own gen 2's replaced the drive shaft with the metal matrix unit. Costs about $400 but worth every penny to have a vibration free car - this only affects 97-98 models.

When you buy these cars make sure the blend door isn't broken otherwise you won't have heat. A $25 part that may cost up to $600 to replace at a dealer - dash comes out. The rear neon tail lights have been known to go out - most replace the balast. THis light is $600 at the dealer and hard to find.

Use quality front rotors otherwise they warp easily.

THese are great cars if they have been maintained properly. ALthough I have a new car I miss mine already. Good cars as long as the previous owner kept up on the maint.

Re: What's wrong with Lincoln Mark VIIs and VIIIs?

So... what would be less trouble to maintain as a collector vehicle? Say a 60,000 mile Mark VII or a 60,000 mile Mark VIII.

I am more nostalgic for Mark VIIs, but Mark VIIIs are pretty awesome too. And they represent the last american rwd coupes so maybe some collector value there.

Either one would be just fine. Both have built proof engines and as far as I know both have bullet proof tranny's as well. I never really heard of any issues with the tranny's but that doesn't mean that there could be issues. it mostly comes down to if the owner of the car before you kept up with doing maintenance or not

Re: What's wrong with Lincoln Mark VIIs and VIIIs?

Originally Posted by sj1400

The biggest flaw I found comes from vibrations at 80+ mph. If you look in the rear view mirror it's blurry to a certain extent. The cause is Fords decision to use a 2 piece driveshaft. A lot of owners that own gen 2's replaced the drive shaft with the metal matrix unit. Costs about $400 but worth every penny to have a vibration free car - this only affects 97-98 models.

The 2 piece driveshaft is in all 94-98s, 93s had a 1 piece shaft that is less prone to vibration. The metal matrix shaft will fit all model years.

Re: What's wrong with Lincoln Mark VIIs and VIIIs?

I just sold my 98 Mark 8 LSC in Dec. Had the new esv coming and I couldn't stand the thought of leaving the LSC outside or driving it in the snow and salt. They pound the roads with salt here.

Back to the topic.

I owned 2 98 LSC's. The biggest flaw I found comes from vibrations at 80+ mph. If you look in the rear view mirror it's blurry to a certain extent. The cause is Fords decision to use a 2 piece driveshaft. A lot of owners that own gen 2's replaced the drive shaft with the metal matrix unit. Costs about $400 but worth every penny to have a vibration free car - this only affects 97-98 models.

When you buy these cars make sure the blend door isn't broken otherwise you won't have heat. A $25 part that may cost up to $600 to replace at a dealer - dash comes out. The rear neon tail lights have been known to go out - most replace the balast. THis light is $600 at the dealer and hard to find.

Use quality front rotors otherwise they warp easily.

THese are great cars if they have been maintained properly. ALthough I have a new car I miss mine already. Good cars as long as the previous owner kept up on the maint.

Those issues you mentioned are pretty much all of the issues I've read about on these cars, you summed it up very well. My biggest concern on the VIII is the blend door, when it goes, you have no heat or A/C and it's expensive to fix, and mandatory. It seems as though the Gen I's have less problems, but, except for the LSC, they've got horrible headlights. Between the Gen II's, it seems to me, from the owner reviews I've read, that the 97 is less problematic, for whatever reason.

Originally Posted by Jesda

A 96 Mark VIII LSC would be ideal for long term ownership. A lot of the 93-96 flaws were worked out, and none of the new flaws for 97-98.

The 95-96 LSC is the Mark VIII I aspire to own, the only negative to those is the lack of heated seats as an option, because that option wasn't introduced until 1997. I like the Gen I's exterior design more, it looks lower, leaner, longer, the Gen II looks kinda bloated IMO.

Re: What's wrong with Lincoln Mark VIIs and VIIIs?

I'm curently on the look-out for a Mark VII or VIII as I do like the look and think they are great cars but I'm also haveing a hard time finding them in good condition. The VIIs is really difficult to fine.

Re: What's wrong with Lincoln Mark VIIs and VIIIs?

Originally Posted by I~LUV~Caddys8792

I've noticed that too, looking on ebay and on other various sites, the Eldorados always look like they've had better care taken of them.

I think it's because of the resale value of those two cars. I see more Mark VIII's being ghetto cruisers since you can pick them up for cheap so all the brotha's buy them to look cool and in the mean time keep shit care of them. I see Mark VIII's all the time around where I work (in the middle of ghetto ass Trenton, NJ) with the air bag's blown on them and the people still riding them around with their 20" rims on there.

Re: What's wrong with Lincoln Mark VIIs and VIIIs?

Originally Posted by Blackout

I think it's because of the resale value of those two cars. I see more Mark VIII's being ghetto cruisers since you can pick them up for cheap so all the brotha's buy them to look cool and in the mean time keep shit care of them. I see Mark VIII's all the time around where I work (in the middle of ghetto ass Trenton, NJ) with the air bag's blown on them and the people still riding them around with their 20" rims on there.

HAHAHAHAHA. Being up here in ghetto-free Canada I never thought of that. You're hilarious.

Thanks for all your contributions guys. So I think the Marks are back on my dream list of 70s-90s American luxury cars, which I will someday buy and store, and then my kids will sell for a fortune in Scottsdale 50 years from now! FYI I'm keeping my eyes open for a clean 90-92 5.7 Brougham, mid-80s Buick Regal V8, 71-73 Riv, and Lincoln Mark VII/VIII.